What to know today
- President Donald Trump announced during remarks at a business forum in Saudi Arabia that he was ordering an end to sanctions on Syria as the country seeks a new start after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government.
- The first major international trip of Trump's second term comes at a crucial moment for diplomacy, as U.S. officials work quickly to make trade deals following Trump's sweeping tariffs. The president's trip includes stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates this week.
- Trump is facing scrutiny, including from some Republican senators, over his administration's plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar to be used as Air Force One. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said this morning that he would put a hold on all DOJ nominees in response to concerns about the gift.
- A grand jury this afternoon indicted the Wisconsin judge accused of obstructing federal authorities who were seeking to detain an undocumented immigrant for deportation. The indictment means the case can move forward against Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan.
Mike Johnson says House will take action against Democrats who were at ICE facility in New Jersey
Reporting from Washington
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters tonight that the House will “have to take appropriate action” against the New Jersey Democrats who the Department of Homeland Security accuses of assaulting federal agents at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Newark.
Johnson said he doesn’t know what exactly the action will be, but there’s “talk” of censure.
“There are a number of discussions about that. I mean, I think there’s talk about censure. I think there needs to be an appropriate measure taken. To be very candid, I haven’t had a lot of time to process that," he said. "We’ll have to take appropriate action, but I don’t yet know what that will be.”
The Democratic lawmakers have disputed DHS' account of the events from Friday.
Can Democrats blame all their problems all on Biden?
Party leaders who long tiptoed around Joe Biden’s health and questions around his senility now seem to be settling on a new tack in explaining the 2024 loss to Trump: It’s all Biden’s fault.
At least that was the chief reason put forward by Kamala Harris’ campaign manager David Plouffe in explaining what led to the November loss.
According to the forthcoming book “Original Sin,” obtained today by NBC News, Plouffe called the efforts to defeat Trump on a truncated timeline a “f---ing nightmare.”
“And it’s all Biden. He totally f---ed us,” Plouffe told the book’s authors, according to the excerpt. “We got so screwed by Biden as a party.”
Speaker Mike Johnson says it's up to Trump whether to accept jet from Qatar as a gift
Reporting from Washington
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the decision on whether to accept a plane from Qatar is up to Trump.
“I think the president would agree that we’ve got to do a careful check for security concerns, but beyond that, it’s his decision,” Johnson said as he walked through the Capitol.
“This is an official aircraft, intended for that purpose and will be used for that purpose,” Johnson argued. “It’s an effectively a gift to the United States, not to not to the president as an individual. That’s how I see it.”
Grand jury indicts Milwaukee judge accused of obstructing immigration agents
A federal grand jury today indicted Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan, who was arrested last month by the FBI on charges of obstructing federal authorities seeking to detain an undocumented immigrant.
The indictment will allow the case against Dugan to move forward.
Her arrest in April marked an intensification in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown by going after a judge, sparking backlash and protests.
Biden didn’t recognize George Clooney at June fundraiser: new book
It was June 2024 when then-President Joe Biden saw George Clooney at a Hollywood fundraiser co-hosted by the Academy Award winner and longtime acquaintance. But Biden didn’t recognize him, even when they were talking face to face, according to a new book.
The “Good Night and Good Luck” star was taken aback at how “diminished” the president seemed at the event, CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson write in “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.” NBC News on Tuesday obtained a copy of the book, which goes on sale next week.
“Biden hobbled out from around the corner. Clooney knew the president had just arrived from the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Apulia, Italy, that morning and might be tired, but hooooooooooly s---, he wasn’t expecting this,” the book says.
DOJ ‘weaponization’ group will shame individuals it can’t charge with crimes, new head says
Reporting from Washington
The conservative activist named by Trump as the head of the Justice Department’s “Weaponization Working Group” said today he planned to “name” and “shame” individuals the department determines it is unable to charge with crimes, in what would amount to a major departure from longstanding Justice Department protocols.
Ed Martin described himself at a press conference as the “captain” of the group that is investigating prosecutors who launched past investigations into Trump and his allies.
“There are some really bad actors, some people that did some really bad things to the American people. And if they can be charged, we’ll charge them. But if they can’t be charged, we will name them,” Martin said. “And we will name them, and in a culture that respects shame, they should be people that are ashamed. And that’s a fact. That’s the way things work. And so that’s, that’s how I believe the job operates.”
During Trump’s first tenure, the justification given for Trump’s firing of former FBI Director James Comey was that Comey had given a press conference in which he released “derogatory information” about then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Rep. Shri Thanedar seeks to expedite consideration of Trump impeachment articles
Reporting from Washington
Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., gave notice on the House floor this afternoon of his intention to force a floor vote on his resolution to impeach Trump.
Thanedar, who is facing a primary challenge in his district, introduced the seven articles of impeachment against Trump last month. He accuses the president of obstructing justice, abusing executive power and corruption, among other charges.
Now, Thanedar is trying to expedite consideration of the impeachment resolution by asking for it to be considered as “privileged,” which forces House leaders to bring up the measure within two legislative days.
House Republicans can call up the resolution and then vote to table, which kills the measure, or vote to refer it to a committee. A simple majority is needed to table or refer a resolution.
House Democratic leadership has not been supportive of impeachment efforts. After Thanedar first introduced his impeachment resolution, Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California said that impeachment “is not an exercise that we’re willing to undertake.”
Turning Qatari 747 into Air Force One could cost $1 billion and take years, experts say
Converting a Qatari-owned 747 jet into a new Air Force One for Trump would involve installing multiple top-secret systems, cost over $1 billion and take years to complete, three aviation experts told NBC News.
They said that accepting the 13-year-old jet would likely cost U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over time, noting that refurbishing the commercial plane would exceed its current value of $400 million. The project might also not be completed by the end of Trump’s term.
Richard Aboulafia, an analyst and consultant on commercial and military aviation, said he thought turning the Qatari jetliner into Air Force One would cost billions and take years.
“You’re taking a 747, disassembling it, reassembling it, and then jacking it up to a very high level,” said Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm.
GOP lawmaker introduces resolution to strip House Democrats at NJ ICE facility from committees
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is introducing a resolution to strip committee assignments from the three New Jersey Democrats who visited the Delaney Hall ICE detention center on Friday.
The resolution names Reps. Rob Menendez, Bonnie Watson Coleman and LaMonica McIver.
It’s unclear if the resolution will be brought to the House floor, as leadership hasn’t weighed in.
The three Democratic lawmakers responded with a joint statement that said in part: “This is just another attempt to distract from the reality of what Republicans are seeking to do: strip healthcare away from 13.7 million Americans and slash programs that strengthen our communities and make them healthier. As we all know, Members of Congress have a legal right to conduct oversight at any DHS detention facility without prior notice, and that’s exactly what we were doing last week.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville blocks Democratic resolution to condemn Qatari jet gift
A Democratic resolution to condemn the proposed gift of a luxury jet from Qatar to Trump failed on the Senate floor after Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., objected to it.
“I remain flabbergasted that this thing is not going to pass,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, who introduced the resolution. “I remain completely aghast. This is the most blatant, obvious, ridiculous, gross corruption that I’ve ever seen in my entire life — by dollar amount, by symbolism, by violating constitutional and statutory law.”
The resolution condemns “any acceptance of a Presidential aircraft, or any other substantial gift, from a foreign government as a grave national security threat to the Office of the President” and demanded that such a gift could only be accepted with the approval of Congress.
Tuberville objected to unanimously passing the resolution, arguing it is “customary and totally normal for foreign countries to give our government gifts.” He said Democrats and the media are only focusing on the jet because “in the past 72 hours, President Trump has delivered so many wins, you can’t count them all.”
Chuck Schumer calls Qatari jet gift 'outright bribery'
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer today said that Qatar’s offer of a luxury jet to be used as Air Force One was "an issue of outright bribery.”
“This is probably the biggest — I’m certain it’s the biggest — gift quote unquote that has ever been given to a sitting president,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said in an interview with CNN. “Not only is there no free lunch, there’s no free Air Force One.”
Schumer said earlier today that he will put a hold on all confirmation votes for Trump’s Justice Department nominees until he gets answers to questions about the gift.
Anti-hunger advocates slam House Republicans’ proposed budget cut to SNAP as ‘unconscionable’
A House Republican proposal to dramatically reduce federal funding to the nation’s largest anti-hunger program would have a disastrous effect on low-income families, nutrition advocates say.
Last night’s proposal from GOP members of the House Agriculture Committee would cut more than $290 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps over 42 million people nationwide purchase fresh produce and other groceries, according to the Agriculture Department. Eligibility for the public-benefits program, which used to be referred to as food stamps, is based on participants’ income and household size, among other factors.
SNAP is federally funded and state-administered. The reforms would “ensure SNAP works the way Congress intended it to, by reinforcing work, rooting out waste,” and by requiring states to shoulder a share of the costs, according to a statement from legislators.
But advocates fear the move could backfire, which would be particularly detrimental at a time when the cost of groceries is so high.
New book claims Biden team was more concerned about his health than publicly revealed
A new book about the 2024 election claims that then-President Joe Biden's team was so concerned about his health that they discussed having him use a wheelchair if he were elected to a second term.
NBC News obtained a copy of “Original Sin,” written by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, which is set to be released next week. The book also claims that White House physician Kevin O'Connor often argued with Biden's aides to reduce his schedule.
"He wasn’t naive to the stresses of the presidency, and he privately expressed worry about the toll it was taking. He fought other Biden officials on scheduling to try to get Biden more rest," the authors wrote. "O’Connor quipped that Biden’s staff were trying to kill him, while O’Connor was trying to keep him alive."
In response to the excerpts, a Biden spokesman criticized the book and the authors, saying in a statement: "We continue to await anything that shows where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or where national security was threatened or where he was unable to do his job. In fact, the evidence points to the opposite — he was a very effective president.”
A separate Biden-Harris campaign official wouldn’t comment on the specifics outlined in the book excerpts, but said: “We were always going to lose no matter what because of anti-incumbent headwinds.”
Judge orders administration to pay terminated library grants
A federal judge in Rhode Island today ordered the administration to resume funding for library and museum grants that were abruptly terminated as a result of a Trump executive order.
U.S. District Judge John McConnell ordered the administration to take “immediate steps to resume the processing, disbursement and payment of already awarded funding” for institutions in 21 states, and directed it not to terminate or pause grants for states that are involved in the suit.
The preliminary injunction had been expected after McConnell found last week that the administration had violated the law when it abruptly dismantled the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service to comply with the executive order.
“Once again, this Court is confronted with a legal challenge by various states, against an Executive Order that attempts to dismantle congressionally sanctioned agencies and ignores congressionally appropriated funds. Here, the targeted federal agencies support our libraries, museums, minority business enterprises, and the well-respected federal mediation services," he wrote in the ruling last week.
He said the EO had violated the “Administrative Procedures Act in the arbitrary and capricious way it was carried out."
The injunction today formally directs the agencies to restore staff, contractors and grants that had been impacted by the action.
Nikki Haley says 'we would be furious' if Biden had accepted Qatar's jet offer
Nikki Haley criticized Trump's plan to accept a free luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One, writing in a post on X today that “accepting gifts from foreign nations is never a good practice.”
“It threatens intelligence and national security. Especially when that nation supports a terrorist organization and allows those terrorist regimes to live on its soil. Regardless of how beautiful the plane may be, it opens a door and implies the President and US can be bought,” Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. during Trump’s first term and went up against him during the 2024 Republican presidential primaries, said in her post.
“If this were Biden, we would be furious,” she added.
Thune says there will be scrutiny 'if and when' Trump's Qatari jet deal comes together
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that there will be “plenty of scrutiny” if Trump accepts a $400 million jet from the Qataris.
“This is a hypothetical,” Thune said during his weekly press conference when asked if he’s comfortable with Trump accepting the plane. “I’m sure that if and when there is, it’s no longer a hypothetical, I can assure you there will be plenty of scrutiny of whatever that arrangement might look.”
While some Republican senators expressed hesitation with the potential deal, others supported Trump potentially accepting the gift.Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a Trump ally, said he "would have a hard time supporting" the offer.
“I’d be a little concerned about accepting a gift to the federal government that way, I mean, it’s a very odd offer," Johnson said. Obviously, people just don’t give you things without expecting something in return. And you know, Qatar may be useful, but I wouldn’t say they’re our strongest ally.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said, "I don’t have a problem with" Trump accepting the jet. "I mean it’s made in America, made by Boeing, I don’t think that President Trump — he doesn’t need a bribe. And I think a lot of people are saying that. He needs a newer plane, it’s 40 years old, I’m sure there will be some money exchanged, probably trying to pay for it, trying to get official, you know we don’t like handouts, but at the end of the day, they’re trying to be nice with an American made product."
Trump to tour Diriyah and attend dinner with the crown prince
Trump is on his way to Diriyah, the ancestral home of the Saudi royal family.
The city is also home to At-Turaif, a UNESCO world heritage site that served as the first capital under Saudi rule.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will take Trump on a tour across the city before they head to dinner at a palace.
Trump says the U.S. will lift sanctions on Syria as he works to deepen diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Trump announced that the U.S. would cease sanctions against war-torn Syria “to give them a chance at greatness,” as he seeks to strengthen ties to Saudi Arabia and others.
“Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” Trump said as Mohammed bin Salman, seated in the front row, crossed his arms over his chest in an expression of gratitude.
“It’s their time to shine,” Trump added. “Good luck, Syria. Show us something very special, like they’ve done, frankly, in Saudi Arabia, OK? They’re going to show us something special. Very good people.”
Trump announces end to Syrian sanctions
Trump announced his plans to end sanctions against Syria and work toward normalizing relations with the country’s new government following the overthrow of former leader Bashar al-Assad.
Trump announces the U.S. will remove sanctions on Syria
In a major policy shift, Trump said during his remarks at the business forum that the U.S. would be removing sanctions on Syria, which had been in place during the country's bloody civil war under the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad.
"I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump said, drawing applause from the audience. The president noted that he discussed the situation with Mohammed bin Salman.
Trump said that the sanctions "were brutal and crippling," but had served an important function. Now, Trump said, was Syria's "time to shine."
Assad fled the country in December, and Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is now the country’s interim president. The U.S. has designated HTS as a foreign terrorist organization.
Trump suggested yesterday that he might remove the sanctions.
Trump says Marco Rubio to attend Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey
Trump said during his remarks that Secretary of State Marco Rubio would head to Turkey on Thursday for talks between Russia and Ukraine.
The president previously floated the possibility that he could personally attend the talks.
A senior White House official confirmed to NBC News that in addition to Rubio, envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg would also attend the talks in Istanbul. The official confirmed that Trump would not travel to Turkey this week.
Zelenskyy has said he is prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin previously said his country was ready for direct talks in Turkey.
Trump spends portion of speech slamming Iran, a historic adversary of Saudi Arabia
Trump spent a portion of the speech slamming Iran, saying it is causing "unthinkable suffering" in several countries in the region.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia had imposed “unprecedented sanctions on Iran and starved the regime of resources to fund terror,” Trump said before contrasting Saudi Arabia with Iran, which are historic adversaries.
"While you have been constructing the world's tallest skyscrapers in Jeddah and Dubai, Tehran's 1979 landmarks are collapsing into rubble and dust," he said.
The president then called on Iran to take a new path and vowed the U.S. would never let Iran produce a nuclear weapon.
"I'm here today not merely to condemn the past chaos of Iran's leaders, but to offer them a new path and a much better path toward a far better and more hopeful future," Trump said.
He said that if Iran's leadership rejects a nuclear deal with the U.S., "we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure."
Trump lauds 'new generation' transforming the Middle East, expresses hope that Saudis will join Abraham Accords
Trump said at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh that a "a new generation of leaders" is transforming the Middle East.
He said the future of the Middle East is "defined by commerce, not chaos, where it exports technology, not terrorism, and where people of different nations, religions and creeds are building cities together, not bombing each other out of existence."
"It's crucial for the wider world to note this great transformation has not come from Western interventionists or flying people in beautiful planes giving you lectures on how to live and how to govern your own affairs," Trump said.
Trump said the "gleaming marvels" of Abu Dhabi and Riyadh were "not created by the so-called nation builders, neocons or liberal nonprofits. ... Instead, the birth of a modern Middle East has been brought by the people of the region themselves, the people that are right here, the people that have lived here all their lives, developing your own sovereign countries, pursuing your own unique visions and charting your own destinies in your own way."
Trump also said that it's his dream for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, which was negotiated by his first administration.
"I think it will be a tremendous tribute to your country, and it will be something that’s really going to be very important for the future of the Middle East," he said. "I took a risk in doing them, and they’ve been an absolute bonanza for the countries that have joined."
Trump to meet Syrian president in Saudi Arabia tomorrow
Trump is expected to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa tomorrow in Saudi Arabia, a White House official said today.
Al-Sharra became Syria's president in January after serving as the nation's de facto leader for several weeks. He had previously led a rebel group in the country that helped overthrow dictator Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia in December.
Chuck Schumer says he is placing a hold on Trump DOJ nominees amid questions on Qatar’s luxury jet gift
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he is placing a hold on all Trump Justice Department nominees as he seeks answers on the administration’s plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar to be used as Air Force One.
“In light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers,” Schumer said on the Senate floor this morning.
Legal questions over Trump's profiting from foreign sources are unresolved
Accusations that Trump has unlawfully benefitted from foreign entities are nothing new. They arose during his first term, but the legal question was never resolved before he left office.
At issue were claims under the Constitution’s emoluments clauses, anticorruption provisions that prevent the president from receiving gifts or payments from foreign officials or the U.S. states.
There is no Supreme Court precedent to guide lower courts on how the clauses can be enforced, or even who can sue.
Three lawsuits filed in the first Trump administration accused him of violating both the domestic and foreign emoluments clauses through his ownership of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, where both foreign and domestic guests with business before the administration would stay.
One of those suits was filed by members of Congress and never got off the ground because an appeals court ruled they did not have standing to pursue their claims. In October 2020, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
In the two other cases, one brought by the state of Maryland and District of Columbia and the other by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, lower courts had allowed the claims to move forward and the Supreme Court agreed to hear Trump’s appeals of those rulings. But it never ruled on the issue, concluding that the cases became moot when Trump left office.
In reaching that conclusion, the justices threw out the appeals court rulings that Trump had lost, meaning that those precedents were wiped off the books.
That means any litigation in Trump’s second term will effectively be starting with a clean slate.
The Supreme Court’s refusal to issue a ruling “may inadvertently encourage another president to brazenly leverage his or her power for profit,” Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, a professor at Stetson University College of Law, wrote at the time.
April inflation report shows prices grew at slowest pace since 2021
Consumer prices climbed last month at the slowest pace since February 2021, as the inflationary effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs had yet to hit Americans’ wallets.
The consumer price index, which tracks a variety of costs throughout the economy, rose 2.3% year on year in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday, down from 2.4% in March.
N.C. election officials formally certify Democrat as winner of state Supreme Court election
The North Carolina State Board of Elections formally certified Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs as the winner of a state Supreme Court election that dragged on for six months due to a barrage of lawsuits from the Republican candidate.
Riggs was sworn-in at a brief ceremony at a state courthouse in Raleigh, where she addressed the months of litigation that challenged her narrow 734-vote victory over Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin.
“We won this election more than six months ago, but it was fewer than seven days ago that this race finally ended. That’s more than 180 days after Election Day, nearly $2 million spent, more than 68,000 voters, lawful votes put at risk, taxpayer time and resources wasted, immeasurable damage done to our democracy,” Riggs said.
“While I am forever inspired by the commitment of North Carolinians to protect our rights, it doesn’t have to be this way — voters should not have to fight tooth and nail to have their lawful votes counted," she continued. "Disappointed politicians should not use courts to try and get a different election outcome.”
The certification of the results puts an official end to the race, which had been the last unresolved contest from the 2024 election.
Griffin conceded the race last week after a federal judge ruled against his legal challenge to tens of thousands of ballots and ordered the North Carolina's election board to certify Riggs’ win.
White House says Saudi Arabia committed to investing $600B in the U.S.
The White House said that Saudi Arabia has committed to investing $600 billion in the U.S., including a nearly $142 billion agreement for U.S. defense firms to provide Saudi Arabia "with state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services."
"The package also includes extensive training and support to build the capacity of the Saudi armed forces, including enhancement of Saudi service academies and military medical services," the White House said in a press release.
Other deals under the agreement include DataVolt, a Saudi data center operator, planning to invest $20 billion in AI and energy infrastructure in the U.S.; a handful of companies, including Google, DataVolt and Oracle, committing to invest $80 billion in technology in both countries; and the health care group Shamekh IV Solution committing to invest $5.8 billion, "including a plant in Michigan to launch a high-capacity IV fluid facility," according to the press release.
Trump family has several business ventures in the Middle East
The Trump family has a slew of business interests in the Middle East, where the president is traveling this week:
- Trump International Hotel and Tower, Dubai: The Trump Organization announced this new project in Dubai in April 2025 in conjunction with DarGlobal, a major real estate developer with previously-reported deep ties to the Saudi government.
- The Trump International Golf Club, Doha: The Trump Organization announced this new golf resort project in April 2025, also in conjunction with DarGlobal as well as Qatari Diar, the real estate arm of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.
- Trump Tower Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: The Trump Organization, led by the presidents' sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., announced in 2024 a naming rights deal for a new development project called “Trump Tower Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” a new major luxury real estate project to be built with DarGlobal.
- Trump Hotel Oman: The Trump Organization is already under active construction with this new DarGlobal project in Muscat, Oman.
- Crypto venture: United Arab Emirate’s state-backed investment firm is using $2 billion worth of the Trumps’ World Liberty Financial stablecoin to close a deal with the cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
- Jared Kushner's investment firm: The firm of Trump's son in law received at least $2 billion from a fund tied to the Saudi government.
- LIV Golf: Trump has a longstanding relationship with LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed golf tournament and competitor to the U.S.-based PGA. The Trump golf properties have hosted seven LIV Golf tournaments.
Trump and MBS sign economic and other partnership agreements
Trump signed a “strategic economic partnership” with bin Salman this afternoon, although details beyond the announcement were sparse. The two leaders sat beneath a portrait of King Salman as an announcer read aloud memorandums and agreements on energy, defense, health and the arts.
The U.S. signed a letter of intent to help develop the capabilities of Saudi Arabia’s armed forces, according to the summary. The memos involved plans for cooperation between the Saudi Ministry of Interior and the FBI, and between the Saudi Ministry of Justice and the DOJ. Another promised cooperation concerned mining and mineral resources between the Ministry of Industry and the Department of Energy, and still another involved medical research related to infectious diseases.
Other agreements dealt with cooperation between the two nations' customs authorities and on a space weather monitoring project.
The signings, which took place in a ceremonial room at the Saudi Royal Court, followed a bilateral meeting and pull-aside with the Saudi leader, and was attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as well as senior White House staff, including chief of staff Susie Wiles.
U.S. to cut 'de minimis' tariffs to 54% for low-value imports from China
Reporting from Hong Kong
The U.S. will cut the "de minimis" tariff for low-valued imports from China from 120% to 54%, a Trump executive order said yesterday, following negotiations in Geneva that resulted in U.S. and China canceling most of their reciprocal tariffs.
The "de minimis" exemption, which applies to imports from China valued at up to $800 that are sent by postal service, had allowed U.S. customers to buy goods from sellers such as Temu and Shein without paying customs levy.
Trump said the exemption was abused by Chinese companies and ended the exemption in February, imposing a 120% duty on items or a flat fee of $200, which was expected to take effect by June.
While the joint statement that the world's two largest economies made yesterday in Geneva did not address the exemption, a White House order said levies would be reduced to 54% and a flat fee to $100, which would go into effect starting tomorrow.
Warren wades into Minnesota Senate primary, endorsing Flanagan
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is taking sides in a contested Democratic primary for an open Senate seat in Minnesota by endorsing Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
Flanagan is facing a growing 2026 primary field that includes Rep. Angie Craig and former state Sen. Melisa López Franzen for the seat being vacated by Sen. Tina Smith, a Democrat, in blue-leaning Minnesota.
“We need Democrats in the Senate who are going to fight with everything they’re got for us,” Warren says in a video first reported by NBC News, accusing Trump of wrecking the economy. “That’s why I’m endorsing Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to be the next senator for Minnesota. Peggy’s a fighter. She’s tough, smart, experienced and ready to take on corrupt special interests in order to make life better for working people.”
Warren also touts Flanagan’s pledge not to take “a dime of corporate PAC money.”
It is Warren’s first endorsement of the 2026 election cycle, and indicates the former presidential candidate’s desire to shape the slate of new Democratic politicians coming to Washington after the midterms. Warren called Flanagan “the partner I need in the Senate to make real progress on the issues that matter to you — housing, child care and the cost of living.”
Later in May, Warren plans to deliver the keynote address at the Colorado Democrats “Obama Gala,” her team said, adding that Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., had invited her.
Biden had a small nodule on his prostate evaluated
Former President Joe Biden had a small nodule on his prostate evaluated, a Biden spokesperson said.
The nodule was found during a routine physical exam and necessitated further evaluation, said the spokesperson, who didn't provide additional details.
Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed from his chest in 2023, while he was president.
Who is MBS, Saudi Arabia's controversial crown prince?
As Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia on the first official trip abroad of his second term, eyes are on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the controversial but powerful de facto leader of this oil-rich Gulf nation.
The crown prince, 39, widely referred to as MBS, has for years been trying to transform the home of Islam’s two holiest sites from a deeply conservative, oil-dependent theocracy into a modern and moderate global leader.
Whether it’s hosting American officials negotiating the end of the war in Ukraine or talks over the future of the Gaza Strip, Saudi Arabia has sought to position itself as a broker and go-between. MBS has also spearheaded ambitious domestic projects meant to diversify the country's economy, liberalize social norms and nudge its large population of young people into the workforce.
Since becoming crown prince in 2017, he has pushed for removing the requirement for women to wear headscarves in public, allowing women to drive and paving the way for the mixing of the sexes in public.
But while he is trying to modernize the country's economy and society, he has not made moves toward democratizing the country of 33 million. Saudi Arabia remains an absolute monarchy in which voicing dissent can be deeply dangerous.
The crown prince's image was badly tainted by the 2018 assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the government, in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul. The CIA concluded his assassination was ordered by the crown prince.
Khashoggi's death shocked many around the world, and briefly made MBS into an outsider on the global stage. During his campaign for president, then-Vice President Joe Biden promising to make Saudi Arabia an international “pariah.”
Even before Khashoggi was killed, human rights defenders inside and outside the country warned about arbitrary arrests, detentions, unfair trials and large numbers of executions in Saudi Arabia.
The country has also been targeted by numerous lawsuits from the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, which killed nearly 3,000 people. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers in the attacks were from Saudi Arabia.
As president, Biden moderated his position — an acknowledgment of Saudi Arabia’s power, particularly as the largest producer of oil in the world.
Trump has shown his preference for strong Saudi ties by making the country the destination of his first official foreign trips during both his administrations.
Trump praises Saudi crown prince as 'very wise'
Trump and Mohammed bin Salman, flanked by aides, gathered briefly before reporters ahead of signing an agreement, the contents of which have not yet been announced.
The president said he was impressed with the crown prince, calling him "wise beyond his years" and praised the Saudi king as an "incredible guy."
"He’s doing well — a little older, but I know he’s doing well," Trump said of the king.
Trump went on to point to the business leaders who had also come to Saudi Arabia today, saying that he expected them to walk away with checks, and that the money would create jobs. The president also praised bin Salman for investments in the U.S., adding that the Saudis would be "purchasing a lot of different things."
Trump’s itinerary includes countries in which the Trump Organization has real estate projects
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Trump is visiting three countries in the Middle-East — Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar — where the Trump Organization has planned real estate projects.
The trip also comes as Trump is under fire for his decision to accept a luxury Boeing jumbo jet from the Qatari government as the new Air Force One. Trump has said the plane will be transferred to his presidential library foundation after he leaves office, the details of which are still being worked out.
Trump plans to accept the gift despite his criticism of Qatar in the past, calling it a "funder of terrorism at a very high level." He leaves for Qatar tomorrow morning.
Trump and crown prince greet new business leaders and traditional ones
Hundreds gathered for a coffee ceremony in which Trump and Mohammed bin Salman greeted everyone from Palantir CEO Alex Karp and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to billionaire Blackrock co-founder Larry Fink and Coca Cola CEO James Quincey.
The range of leaders present showcased new and upcoming U.S. business interests, as well as traditional ones.
Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick and Omeed Malik, an investor who is a business partner of the president’s son Donald Trump Jr., were also spotted greeting the leaders.
Musk, Wiles, Hegseth and Rubio join ceremonial coffee
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were among the U.S. officials who joined Trump and Mohammed bin Salman at a coffee ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court today.
Chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff James Blair were in the ceremonial room seated alongside Saudi counterparts. Elon Musk was also in attendance.
Trump offered handshake after handshake as he greeted Saudi officials.
Flags, trumpets and a crown prince greet Trump at royal court
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Riders on Arabian horses held aloft American and Saudi flags as they accompanied Trump's motorcade into the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh today. Trumpets played the U.S. national anthem as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, greeted Trump.
The president briefly held a salute as he stood next to the prince, known as MBS, under a pavilion, before the pair walked along a long lavender carpet and each took a short escalator to enter the palace. The two leaders chatted as they walked.
The drive from King Khalid International Airport sped along a highway through the desert, passing residential properties and businesses, and booming construction.
Before the arrival, staff rushed to vacuum the royal purple carpet at the entrance to the palace, which is the official residence and main executive office of the kingdom’s monarch.
In pictures: Trump's tour of the Middle East begins
President Donald Trump has touched down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will now begin his three-day tour of the Middle East. Below are scenes of Trump's arrival and being greeted by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Lunch delegation includes business leaders and Cabinet secretaries
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The U.S. delegation at lunch with Trump at the Saudi Royal Court today includes Scale AI CEO Alex Wang; Kimbal Musk, a businessman and the brother of Trump adviser Elon Musk; Stellantis Chair John Elkann; and Smithsonian directors Chase Robinson and Brandie Smith, among others.
Members of Trump’s Cabinet, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and other members of his senior staff will also be in attendance.
Executives from Palantir, Uber, Amazon and Google are also in the delegation.
Musk, Bessent and Lutnick to appear at Saudi investment forum
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Later today, Trump will deliver remarks at an investment forum attended by business executives, policymakers and members of his administration.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are expected to speak, along with Elon Musk, the billionaire adviser to Trump and the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and former PayPal executive David Sacks, whom Trump appointed as his AI and cryptocurrency czar in the White House.
Business executives, including Blackstone CEO and Trump donor Stephen Schwarzman, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, and Cristiano Amon, the U.S. president of chipmaker Qualcomm, are also on the schedule for the forum.
Political tensions rise over Trump's plan to accept a luxury plane from Qatar
Congressional Democrats are denouncing Trump's plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One, with the president arguing it would be "stupid" to turn down the offer.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Forces Committee, called the gift “a blatant conflict of interest" and said it "undermines the integrity of American leadership.”
“The President would also be in clear violation of the Emoluments Clause, a provision in the U.S. Constitution that prohibits federal officials from accepting gifts or financial benefits from any foreign state without the consent of Congress,” Reed said in a statement.
Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio compared the situation to earlier GOP criticism of Hillary Clinton, saying, “the appearance of corruption alone screams, ‘Bad idea!’ My views have not changed.”
Senate Democrats plan to try and force a vote this week on a resolution that would condemn the gift.
“There should be 100 of us that agree on this fundamental principle, no president should take free stuff from a foreign government, and certainly nothing worth $400 million,” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said.
Trump yesterday called the gift “a nice gesture.”
“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’ But it was, I thought it was a great gesture,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
He went on to say that countries like Qatar "probably wouldn’t exist right now" if it wasn't for the U.S. "And I think this was just a gesture of good faith,” he added.
Saudi jets escort Air Force One
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Royal Saudi Air Force's F-15 fighter jets escorted Air Force One as it approached the Saudi capital moments ago.
At least five fighter jets came flanking of the AF1's wings, three on the right side, two on the left side, just as the plane approached for landing.
“On behalf of President Trump, THANK YOU!” Dan Scavino, assistant to Trump and the White House deputy chief of staff posted on X with a video from the flight.
Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia on first major trip
Trump landed at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, shortly before 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET), beginning his visit to the kingdom and the first planned trip of his second term.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeted Trump and escorted him to a coffee ceremony.
This is the second time Trump has chosen Saudi Arabia for his first planned overseas trip as U.S. president, and the crown prince was also the first foreign leader to hold a call with Trump this term.
Trump will later travel to the Royal Court for an arrival ceremony with Mohammed bin Salman, an introduction of the delegations, a coffee service in the ceremonial blue room, a lunch with business leaders, bilateral meetings and an agreement-signing event.
The four-day Middle East trip will also take Trump to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
While pushing ‘America First,’ Trump set to accept Qatar’s luxury jet as Air Force One
In Trump’s vision, he’s set to usher in an American “golden age” in which the nation makes more of the world’s goods and sells more of its products.
But when it comes to the president’s personal travel, he’s ready to ditch the old 747 known as Air Force One in favor of a luxe jet that the royal family of Qatar, a tiny, yet rich Arab country nearly 7,000 miles away, wants to gift to the U.S.
The image of the ‘America First’ president floating above the clouds in Qatari splendor doesn’t sit well with some of the MAGA faithful, much less the good-government groups who warn the deal may run afoul of the constitutional clause that bars gifts from foreign nations absent congressional approval.
“That’s a pretty strange offer,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. said.
Trump snubs traditional allies and marks Gulf power with his first major foreign trip
President Donald Trump will return to familiar ground in Saudi Arabia this week, choosing the kingdom as the destination for his first major foreign trip of his second term, just as he did in 2017 — once again bypassing the traditional allies who have usually hosted presidents.
The decision underscores a broader Trump White House strategy, prioritizing the Middle East’s economic and strategic influence over North America’s deep-rooted trade and security ties.
With an eye on blockbuster deals, a Nobel-worthy diplomatic breakthrough and the Middle East’s role as a geopolitical fulcrum, Trump is chasing defining moments in a region that he has treated as a diplomatic and economic cornerstone. Meanwhile, his unpredictable tariffs and diplomatic approach has cast a shadow over partnerships with Canada and Mexico.